2 Four Key Wilson Decisions ‐ 3

What We Will Cover Today • Four Key Wilson Decisions – The Flawed Treaty of Versailles America Between the World – Refusal to accept any changes – The Decision Not to Resign the Presidency Wars – The Impact of the Treaty and the Failure to Ratify It • Prohibition Class 2 – Origins of the Prohibition Movement – The 18th Amendment & the Volstead Act William A. Reader – Rumrunners, Bootleggers, & Al Capone – Effects of Prohibition E‐mail: [email protected] – Why It was Repealed – The Aftermath 1 Four Key Wilson Decisions –2 Four Key Wilson Decisions ‐ 3 • The decision to accept a flawed treaty in order • The Decision not to resign the Presidency to win foreign acceptance of the League of after his stroke Nations – Led to the U.S. being governed by Wilson’s wife – Treaty contained provisions and omissions that • This meant that the problems of postwar inflation, • Were politically unpalatable to the U.S. Senate demobilization, and recession were totally ignored • Were to cause future trouble – Let the Lodge Republicans dominate the debate • The refusal to accept any changes or over ratification of the Versailles Treaty • This sapped support for the Treaty and led to its reservations in the Treaty to win Republican eventual defeat support 3 4 Impact of the Treaty of Versailles Impact of Failed Ratification • Led to great resentment in Germany • Greatly weakened the League of Nations – Signing the Versailles “diktat” weakened the • Fostered a sense of disillusionment Weimar Republic, giving the German Right (and – With World War I and its results the Nazis) a tool with which to attack the Republic – With U.S. participation in the war • Created instability in Eastern Europe – With U.S. engagement with the world – Created weak and unstable states • This in turn fostered a spirit of isolationism – Strengthened Germany strategically that was reflected in restrictive immigration – Constituted a peace settlement that neither laws, high tariffs, and the Neutrality Acts of Germany nor Soviet Russia supported the 1930s 5 6 Wild West Origins of Prohibition ‐ 1 • Prohibition had its origins in the West –an area where crime rates were high and Prohibition drinking was common – As one historian noted, “A mixture of alcohol and kids with guns always causes problems” • Much of the Wild West violence and drunkenness was connected to the saloon 8 Wild West Origins of Prohibition ‐ 2 The Anti‐Saloon League • As time passed, there was a growing presence • The Anti‐Saloon League of women and children. This – Knit together a wide constituency opposed to the – Changed the population structure liquor traffic and the saloon – Changed the moral climate, since most women – Focused on the single issue of liquor were moral conservatives – Willing to accept incremental gains • Moral reaction against the saloon led to the movement – Supported any politician willing to vote “dry” for Prohibition regardless of political party • Having their reform efforts blocked by politicians allied to the vice industries led to support for female voting – Prototype of the modern lobby group that uses its enfranchisement political power to influence public policy 9 10 Liquor and Culture Clashes Role of the Saloon • The Prohibition Movement provoked the first • Saloons integrated into urban political machine politics – Saloons often used as polling stations and as political gathering of the culture clashes that have marked sites th – Many saloonkeepers held political office American politics in the 20 century – Served as a clearinghouse for the exchange of money and favors – Middle class native Protestants vs Working class • Where the political boss met his petitioners and made deals ethnic Catholics and Lutherans • Provided services to neighborhood workers – Hiring halls • The saloon and ‘biergarten’ were important elements – Free (or cheap) meals of immigrant culture – Check cashing • Rising alcohol consumption after 1900 – Use of saloon safes to store valuables – Place for socializing with neighbors and fellow workers (i.e. the • Germans popularized beer drinking poor man’s club) 11 12 Beer and the Saloon The Prohibition Tide • As the brewing industry became a big • The South becomes dry business, it developed close ties to the saloon • The Impact of Progressivism for the following reasons: • Dominance of draft beer • The Impact of Science • High license fees • The Impact of World War I • Close ties between brewers and saloons led to an overexpansion of the saloon trade • This led to saloons encouraging excess drinking • Also led to saloons allowing illegal activities to take place 13 14 The South Goes Dry The Impact of Progressivism • The South had traditionally opposed federal • Progressivism with its various reform laws mandates accustomed Americans to accept some • This changed, however, during the Progressive governmental controls to further the general Era as far as liquor is concerned welfare – Southern whites feared disorder and violence – Pure Food and Drug laws between blacks and lower‐class whites – Regulation of women’s and children’s labor – Saw liquor as fostering such disorder. Hence, – Factory safety laws growing Southern support for Prohibition – Consumer protection laws 15 16 The Impact of Science World War I & Prohibition • By 1916, there was a lot of scientific evidence • World War I in support of limiting alcohol consumption – Fostered the belief that drink impeded industrial productivity and soldierly fighting ability – Alcohol was a depressant • Brewing and distilling diverted grain needed by the – Alcohol depressed higher mental functions troops and European allies into the creation of – Alcohol use was positively correlated with crime, products that inhibited the war effort prostitution, and poverty – Discredited the principal opponents of Prohibition –the brewers and the German‐American Alliance • Enabled the Anti‐Saloon League to successfully link liquor to disloyalty and beer‐drinking with sympathy to the kaiser and his Huns 17 18 The 18th Amendment The Volstead Act ‐ 1 • Amendment forbade the “manufacture, sale, or • Defined an “intoxicating beverage” as one transportation of intoxicating liquors within … containing 0.5% alcohol the United States and all territories subject to its jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes.” • Forbade the manufacture, sale, transport, • Approved by Congress on November 21, 1917 importation, delivery, or possession of any • Ratified by Nebraska (the 36th state to do so) on January 16, intoxicating liquor except 1919 • Took effect on January 16, 1920 – Medicinal alcohol prescribed by a doctor • Did not define what were “intoxicating liquors” – Sacramental wine • Did not forbid the use or possession of liquor – Flavoring extracts and syrups containing alcohol 19 20 The Volstead Act ‐2 The Volstead Act –3 • Allowed brewers to manufacture near‐beer • Placed the Prohibition Bureau under the – Beer containing less than 0.5% alcohol Treasury Department and exempted its agents • Allowed households and grape growers to from civil service requirements produce non‐intoxicating cider, fruit juices, and fruit cakes • Allowed the possession and consumption of • Allowed the manufacture and sale of industrial alcoholic beverages that the possessor owned alcohol provided denaturants were added to and stored prior to January 1920 make it unpalatable • Provided a fine of $1,000 and/or 30 days in prison for the first offense 21 22 Inherent Enforcement Problems Premonitions of Trouble • Vastly inadequate staffing levels and • Warnings that the 2 million soldiers overseas appropriations would not like the new dispensation • 18,700 miles of unguarded land and sea borders • Difficulty in policing the legal traffic in alcohol • Experience of towns and states that had – Industrial Alcohol adopted Prohibition before 1920 – Near beer • Warning of ex‐President William Howard Taft – Tracking liquor permits held by thousands of doctors and druggists (as well as permits for sacramental • Warnings that Prohibition would prove so wine) unpopular and unworkable that it would – Dried grape and raisin cakes • Illegal stills, breweries, and saloons (speakeasies) quickly be repealed 23 24 Rumrunners & the Real McCoy Loopholes & George Remus • European shipping of liquor to nearby sites in • George Remus was a drugstore owner who Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas, and St Pierre & became a pharmacist and a mob lawyer Miquelon – Bought up “whiskey certificates” & got permission – Rumrunning ships & speedboats to sell whiskey to drug companies licensed to sell • American & European bank financing of liquor medicinal whiskey smuggling – Used the drug companies (many of them Remus • The ‘Real [Bill] McCoy’ fronts) to sell most of it to bootleggers, nightclub • Roy Olmstead owners, and middlemen – Olmstead vs United States 25 26 Chicago & Al Capone ‐ 1 Chicago & Al Capone ‐ 2 • Before Prohibition, Chicago gangs involved in • After 1920, ‘Big Jim’ Colasimo, saloon owner gambling, ‘protection’ racketeering, and and brothel king, got involved with prostitution had established links with local bootlegging politicians • Many of the politicians and gangsters operated • Colasimo imported his nephew, Johnny Torrio, saloons and cafés to manage his illegal enterprises • ‘Big Jim’ Colasimo operated the Colasimo Café on – In 1920, Colasimo was probably killed by Johnny South Wabash Ave –the town’s hottest nightspot Torrio – The band by playing both opera medleys and jazz – Colasimo had the first of the expensive helped popularize jazz in the Chicago area ostentatious funerals

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